Three-year-old beaten to death by dog-worshiping religious group

A three-year-old boy has been found beaten to death and cremated by a pseudo-religious group worshiping "Jindo-dogs", a canine breed native to the Korean soil, in a police investigation that revealed distorted exorcism.

Police said the baby's 41-year-old mother identified by her surname Choi and a 53-year-old disciplinary master of the group were arrested on charges including homicide.

The weird case dates back to February 2014 when an ordinary wife, Choi moved to the community house of a dog worshipping religion in Seoul with her three-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter, to live with other zealots and ten dogs, and got involved in erratic religious activities.

Community people testified that the son had been beaten frequently for his disobedient attitude on allegations by the disciplinary master that he was possessed and needed punishment. After the boy was beaten to death on July 7, 2014, his body was buried in a rural mountain and cremated later.

The boy's cold-hearted mother, who was allegedly not involved in cruelty, reported to police that her son went missing. After a failed hunt for years, the case came to light when police launched a nationwide investigation into whereabouts of children who were eligible for primary school education but were not listed in any schools.

On suspicions that Choi could have accidently killed her son, police were able to arrest the two after acquiring confessions from a group member.